2015 - DesertDuler

[slidewayz]

Really really nice DD!!

 

[landuse]

I like the yellow

 

[Desertduler]

Thank you gentlemen for the compliments! I am glad I have until Halloween to get this thing put back together as slow as it has been going!

 

[Desertduler]

I finished up the 7075 skid plate and I have installed it on the kart,I have cut holes in the back corners of the skid plate so that any dirt or sand or such will dump out of the holes and not build up in the skid plate.

 

[rushking19]

Nice

 

[DirtyDamage]

Lookin' groovy

 

[Desertduler]

One last shot of the frame with the skid plate mounted up and onward with the next assembly steps.

 

[Desertduler]

As an added safety measure I run the kill switch wiring harness on top of the frame so that it will be protected from being cut and or smashed and resulting in either killing the engine or rendering the kill switch non functional,also note that the kill switch wires are wrapped up in a protective wiring loom.

 

[Desertduler]

Back on the ground again!

 

[DirtyDamage]

Looks great

 

[chancer]

Is good one!

 

[machinist@large]

As an added safety measure I run the kill switch wiring harness on top of the frame so that it will be protected from being cut and or smashed and resulting in either killing the engine or rendering the kill switch non functional,also note that the kill switch wires are wrapped up in a protective wiring loom.

Another old school trick you could use on a future build would be to weld appropriate lengths of round tubing to the frame to hold and protect the wiring. I'm not talking water proof, think wiring chaseways, with open gaps placed where you need access for whatever wiring need's to change direction.

It would let you get away from the zip ties on the frame in many places (like the one's you have holding the loom to the central spine). Look at any of the straight run's you have; those would be perfect candidates for such an install, and if you keep your current protective sheath as well, you'ed have one extremely protected harness...

And with your attention to detail Bret, you'ed have people going wow... And for the record, you don't need to do the corner's unless they're in a spot that need's the protection, so it's way easier than running full EMT conduit. Just run your current protective sheath thru it and call it good.

 

[Desertduler]

Ok,this thing is ready for action and a qualifying video.

 

[DirtyDamage]

Can't wait to see it, Bret.

 

[Desertduler]

Another old school trick you could use on a future build would be to weld appropriate lengths of round tubing to the frame to hold and protect the wiring. I'm not talking water proof, think wiring chaseways, with open gaps placed where you need access for whatever wiring need's to change direction.

It would let you get away from the zip ties on the frame in many places (like the one's you have holding the loom to the central spine). Look at any of the straight run's you have; those would be perfect candidates for such an install, and if you keep your current protective sheath as well, you'ed have one extremely protected harness...

And with your attention to detail Bret, you'ed have people going wow... And for the record, you don't need to do the corner's unless they're in a spot that need's the protection, so it's way easier than running full EMT conduit. Just run your current protective sheath thru it and call it good.

One thing that I have learned Pat from off road racing is that with the vibrations that are induced wiring unless it ts pinned down solid it can wear and chaff through and short out and it is easier to locate a problem or a short with the wiring exposed than having to pull it all out of tubing to find the short or break.
It is not cool running at night and losing your lights for instance and this kart will have lights also.

 

[machinist@large]

One thing that I have learned Pat from off road racing is that with the vibrations that are induced wiring unless it ts pinned down solid it can wear and chaff through and short out and it is easier to locate a problem or a short with the wiring exposed than having to pull it all out of tubing to find the short or break.
It is not cool running at night and losing your lights for instance and this kart will have lights also.

I was just throwing up an idea that's been in use on a lot of heavy equipment to protect the wiring. An alternative would be to weld small tabs with holes for the ties to the frame. That way you don't need to worry about an obstacle snagging the ties from under the kart, which on the main front to back line on this kart would concern me. My original suggestion was for trying to get around that.

Maybe we're looking at this from the differing views of where we live; you live somewhere where you can wind up and go for mile's without obstacles. Where I live, the only way to get close to that is on the county roads. Where you have blue skies and plenty of room to run, I have lot's of tree's, rock's, ditches, swamps, fence rows, and crops, some of which even when harvested would make short work of the zip ties that go under the frame, and could cause major issues with the rest of your harness.

I'm not saying you're wrong, I was just throwing out a way to add more armor to what you already have.....

 

[Desertduler]

I was just throwing up an idea that's been in use on a lot of heavy equipment to protect the wiring. An alternative would be to weld small tabs with holes for the ties to the frame. That way you don't need to worry about an obstacle snagging the ties from under the kart, which on the main front to back line on this kart would concern me. My original suggestion was for trying to get around that.

Maybe we're looking at this from the differing views of where we live; you live somewhere where you can wind up and go for mile's without obstacles. Where I live, the only way to get close to that is on the county roads. Where you have blue skies and plenty of room to run, I have lot's of tree's, rock's, ditches, swamps, fence rows, and crops, some of which even when harvested would make short work of the zip ties that go under the frame, and could cause major issues with the rest of your harness.

I'm not saying you're wrong, I was just throwing out a way to add more armor to what you already have.....

We both are right Pat I know you know what you are talking about and I am a Heavy Equipment Mechanic by trade and I get what you are saying,this kart will be on the lake bed not skidding over objects, the front ties are protected by the skid plate they are not exposed underneath,I have raced off road buggies and I have seen first hand wiring failures along with being a mechanic for 40 years, I have seen wiring loom tubes full of mud and dirt and with the vibrations of machinery that mud and or dirt become like lapping compound and it will wear right through wiring insulation and short out on steel in time, another way that I have tied up wiring in my race buggies was weld small flat washers on the upside of the frame tubes and zip tie the wiring harness to the washers and it is really easy to find a problem in the the wiring if need be.

 

[Desertduler]

Here is a little walk around video of my wife's kart.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTcAtpIXFG4

 

[DirtyDamage]

Looks snazzy

 

[chancer]

That is a good looking ride. Is it just my computer or does the seat wiggle in that video almost like it is made of rubber? Trippy camera effect. especially at 32sec mark.